Infinite
by kaelan
Summary: My version of Twilight. The Cullens have just moved back to Forks, Bella's not entirely human, and the pack is already in full swing. Alice/Bella pairing. *On hiatus*
1. Chapter 1

***Re-posted, with minor changes.**

**A/N: Hey. This is my first fanfic, so I hope you guys won't expect too much. My story is set in Forks, and instead of Bella, the Cullens are the ones who're new. Bella's been in Forks for about a year, and she's not entirely human, but I'll get to that later. So this is my first chapter; I know it's a little slow, but it'll pick up soon, I promise. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 1**

_Hey._

_Got your message. What's up?_

_The Cullens are coming. Today._

_Today?_

_Yeah. I just got word from Sam. The 'kids' are gonna go to Forks High._

_Okay. I'll keep an eye out for them._

_Thanks. Be careful._

_Always._

**Alice POV**

The sun hung lazily in the sky, one of those rare days where the clouds had actually cleared out enough for it to be visible. Hundreds of rays of light penetrated the dense woods, creating exquisite patterns on the forest floor. I stood, still as a statue, and grazed my fingertips lightly against the bark of the large canopy tree to my left, admiring the pattern of the wood. I sighed, unable to believe how I had, once again, found myself contemplating my motivation in life. The prospect of going through high school all over again was depressing, and quite frankly, I couldn't bear the thought of doing the exact same thing for the rest of eternity. There was no point. It was very disheartening to know that my life had no goal, no purpose. Momentarily distracted by the texture of the centuries-old wood, I laid my palm flat against the tree trunk, and slowly pushed, feeling it succumb to my vampire strength.

After a few seconds of silence, the tree began to groan in protest, the strain of my power threatening to uproot it. Sighing once more, I took a step back, angry that I had resorted to taking out my frustrations on a defenseless tree. But more than that, I was angry at myself for feeling so glum. What was with me lately? I wasn't my usual cheery self; even the family had begun to notice. Rose had even offered to go shopping with me a number of times, something she would never voluntarily do, to which I had declined. Now I wondered if I _wanted_ to feel unhappy, purposefully isolating myself from the people I loved, just to feel miserable. Jasper, who had been my mate for the better part of 35 years, and was now simply my best friend, had always managed to get me out of my most unpleasant mood. In this instance, though, even he couldn't rescue me from my negativity.

Shaking off my dark thoughts, I turned and began to make my way back to the house unhurriedly. These moments of quiet were a rare commodity; I felt the need to relish every second of being alone with my thoughts. I had no desire to face Edward and his mind-reading today; he would only berate me for not being grateful that our lives were peaceful and unproblematic. I had long ago resigned to the fact that, unlike him, mere books and music were not enough to capture my attention, nor were coming up with pieces of fiction, which could occupy Jasper for hours at a time. Lately, even my sketching couldn't hold me for more than a few minutes.

As I neared the magnificent two-story house, I could hear the sounds of Esme directing Emmett on the color of the curtains in the hall, and Rosalie asking about the china. Forcing myself to feel more optimistic, I filled my mind with the thought of shopping and clothes, and plastered a smile on my face. I pushed open the door and stepped into the living room.

"Alice! There you are. Could you help me with this?" Esme gestured towards a sizeable stack of paintings stacked up against the cream-colored wall.

"Of course, Esme. Where do you want it to go?" I asked, holding up a huge self-potrait by Rembrandt, one of her favourites.

"I think over there will do, Alice. By the piano, so it doesn't clash with the Whistler," Esme replied, pointing to the far end of the room, where Edward was seated, playing a random tune.

Gently, I brought the painting over, finding my mind drifting to a simpler time; back when I had thought Jasper was my whole world, and I had something, or rather, someone to live for. I recalled the day when we had decided to break things off.

_The two of us had been in the midst of one of our hunting trips; Jasper had gone off a short distance to feed, and I had just taken down my second deer. I never knew why, but Jasper had always been very particular about his privacy when hunting. I supposed it had something to do with being in the military, but never questioned him about it. Just as I was finishing up, he walked into the clearing, looking satiated. I looked up, startled, for a moment. His curly, blond hair obscuring his forehead, his strong jaw, and sharp features rendering me temporarily speechless. It was his eyes that captured me most, that captivated me. He never failed to take my breath away, the kind, caring man that he was. Always supportive of my decisions, comforting me even when they turned out to be the wrong ones. He was everything to me. I loved him. He was my . . . best friend?_

_My eyes widened in surprise. Where had that come from? No. No, it was just a stupid thought. Wasn't it? I looked at him, panicked, and confused as to why I would think that. Jasper looked back at me, a sad smile on his perfect face, implying that he knew exactly what I was feeling._

"_It's okay, Alice. I knew this moment would come eventually," he said softly, nothing but love in his eyes._

"_What? What are you talking about? What moment?" I asked, frantic._

"_The moment you realized you stopped loving me," he replied, no longer smiling._

_I blanched, my mind immediately resisting the idea. It was absurd! Jasper was undisputedly my soulmate, the love of my life! From the moment I had seen him in a vision, I knew we were destined for each other. We were perfect together. And yet, my heart was telling me to listen to the truth of the words, and that if anyone could tell me what I was feeling, it was him. Somewhere along the line, I had fallen out of love with him, but was too comfortable to see the reality of the situation. Somehow, over the years, he had stopped being my lover, and had become my friend. I looked intently into his eyes, searching, trying to find a solution, an answer. He simply gazed back at me, not saying a word, waiting for me to say something. He had known before I did that my feelings for him had changed. Feeling inexplicable sorrow over what I had lost, and guilt-ridden, I opened her mouth._

"_Jazz, I…" I trailed off, barely whispering._

_He moved closer to me, shaking his head, reassuring me that words didn't need to be spoken. He gathered me in a hug, resting his chin on me head, comforting me, as he always did. We stayed that way for a long while._

Coming out of the memory, I found Edward looking at me sympathetically, obviously experiencing the flashback with me. I sighed in exasperation; wasn't anything private anymore?

"Sorry, Alice," he said, a slightly apologetic grin on his face, and picked up the tune where he had left off. Rolling my eyes, I continued walking over to the wall, and hung up the painting. When I was with Jasper, everything was so easy; I lived to make him happy, to see him smile. But now, it was as though someone had taken away my ability to breathe, which didn't kill me, but left me feeling highly uncomfortable.

Glancing at the sofa, I saw Rose and Emmett sitting side by side, going over Esme's china. To be able to do nothing together, to just be, was a luxury that I had given up along with my relationship with Jasper. Briefly, I wondered how Edward did it, all these years, with no one at his side. I heard him chuckle in response, but otherwise kept playing.

Just then, Carlisle strode into the room, holding up some papers. "Okay, you're all enrolled in Forks High School. You start on Monday," and proceeded to hand out the papers.

"Yeah! Fresh meat!" Emmett jumped up, pumping his fist in the air. Rosalie silenced him with a look.

"What?" he asked, with an innocent expression. She rolled her eyes.

"What about the _dogs_?" she asked, "Do they know we're here?"

"Yes, Rosalie, I've already informed the _werewolves_ of our arrival. And Sam, their new Alpha, has been made aware of the treaty. I don't expect we'll run into much trouble, at least not where they're concerned. Their pack has gotten bigger since we left. It's grown to six," he replied.

"Carlisle," I spoke up, "has there been any news on vampire activity in Forks? In the time we were gone, some nomads may have come across the area."

"The Denali's have assured me that they haven't met with anyone, at least not for the past ten years," he answered, "so it should be fine. Have you seen anything?"

"No, I've been looking, but nothing unusual seems to be–" I stopped, her eyes glazing over, going into a vision.

"Alice, what is it?" Jasper asked, quickly flitting over to my side, while the rest of my family crowded around us, "What do you see?"

"Me, I think," I replied, my voice unsure. The images were flashing very quickly in my head, and I tried to grasp what they meant.

"Alice, what?" Edward asked, seeing the vision with me, "I don't . . . Oh!"

"What is it?" Rose demanded, placing her hands on my shoulders. I was now slightly whimpering. "What does she see?"

Clearly uncomfortable, Edward spoke slowly, "Herself. Being intimate. With another girl."

* * *

**End Chapter 1.**


	2. Chapter 2

***Re-posted, with minor changes.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I didn't expect there to be that many, so thanks :P**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter, I've gone back and corrected all my mistakes, didn't even realize they were there, sorry :P I trust you won't be too disappointed about the turn of events. Oh, and sorry about the long flashback, it was kinda necessary. Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 2**

**Bella POV**

Charlie Swan stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, the morning newspaper already clasped in his hand. Going over to the cupboard, he reached up and grabbed the first mug he could find, filled it with freshly-brewed coffee, and headed to the table. He plonked the mug and the paper onto the table before plopping down onto the seat. Only after a few seconds of peering bleakly at the front page, did he realize, with a start, that I was sitting across him, clutching an already half-empty glass of milk, watching him in amusement.

"Morning, Dad," I chirped, a smile breaking out on my face.

Charlie frowned at me for a few seconds, as if to say, "What's got you in such a good mood?" before grunting in response, and turning back to his paper, attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes. I finished her milk in one gulp, stood up and placed it into the sink.

"I'm going to school," I announced before giving Charlie a peck on the cheek.

"Bye, Dad," I said, smirking when I received another grunt. I grabbed my backpack off of the floor and headed out to my 1971 Chevy Nova, my thoughts centered on the conversation I'd had with Jacob a few days ago.

_I had just gotten back from dropping Rachel off, when Charlie called out from the living room._

"_Hey, Bells, Jake just called a while ago. He wants you to meet him at his house asap. Says he has something to tell you," his suggestive tone indicating that there was more to the story than he was telling. I leaned against the doorframe, giving my father the once-over, before narrowing my eyes in suspicion._

"_Hey, don't kill the messenger!" he said, chuckling and holding his hands up defensively. I glared at him for a moment, considering whether or not to wring the truth out of him, as he held his breath. Deciding to let it go, I whirled around, wondering what was so important Jake had to tell me that couldn't wait. Charlie heaved a sigh of relief._

"_I'll be back before curfew!"_

_* * *_

_When I got there, I was greeted by Billy Black, Jacob's father. Billy had been in an accident when he was younger, and seeing how the wolf genes had skipped a generation, his inability to heal quickly had left him paralyzed from the waist-down, and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life._

"_Hey, Bella," he welcomed._

"_Hi, Billy," I replied with a smile, as I traipsed up towards the small house._

"_You're looking well," he commented. "How's the old man holding up? You still keeping him on his toes?"_

"_Yeah," I said, with a laugh, "he was pretty psyched about Jake calling. Dunno why he still bothers, though. I've told him like, only a billion times that I don't swing that way anymore."_

"_Aw, he's just worried about you, that's all. You know how people can be. Just give him more time to get used to the idea. He'll come around," Billy replied._

"_Yeah, I suppose," I answered, unconvinced. "So, where's Jake? Said he had something to tell me. Sounded urgent."_

_Billy's expression immediately darkened, his tone changing from playful to serious in an instant. "Round back, with the others. Go ahead, they're expecting you."_

_Muttering my thanks, and more intrigued than ever about Jake's vague message, I made my way to the edge of the forest that stood behind the Black house. Looking around, I made sure I was alone before shedding all my clothes. The cold night air hit my skin, lowering my hotter-than-average temperature. Standing perfectly still, I took a deep breath and willed myself to change. Almost immediately, I could feel my body reacting, my eyes turning from a warm, chocolate brown, to a fierce, intense yellow. With my insides tingling, I felt my bones shifting, and the fur rippling out over my skin. My teeth grew longer and sharper, canines extending to touch my lower lip. I loved the change, loved the anticipation of knowing that I was turning into a powerful animal._

_Seconds later, I stood as a magnificent wolf, proud, with my golden-brown fur gleaming in the moonlight. I let out a howl of joy at being in my most primal form. I was loup-garou! I was free! Digging my claws into the earth, I felt strong, like nothing could stop me. Hearing the pack respond to my calls, I darted into the forest, weaving between the trees for a few minutes until finally, I came to a small clearing where five large werewolves stood._

_I was met with a chorus of howls from the wolves, all of whom I had gradually befriended over the past couple of months, and responded in kind. I then quickly turned my attention to the big, russet wolf, watching me with unsmiling eyes that alerted me to the gravity of the situation. At an unspoken signal, Jared and Embry turned and ran off in one direction, Paul and Leah in another, presumably to run the perimeter. Not being part of the pack, my mind wasn't connected to theirs, which made communicating with Jacob possible only in human form. With a jerk of his head, the two of us began phasing; we were long past the point of being shy with one another._

"_Hey, Bella," Jacob said, solemn._

"_Hey. Got your message. What's up?" I asked._

"_Remember when we first met? I was telling you about my ancestors' history and all that? At the beach?" Jake began._

"_Yeah, the Quileute legends; how you came to be werewolves, right?" I recalled._

"_Yeah, well, I didn't tell you everything," he continued, "What I didn't tell you was the reason we became werewolves, or shapeshifters," he paused, as though recollecting his thoughts._

"_A long time ago, while out in the woods, the tribe's hunters came across a man, but he was unlike any man they had ever seen. His eyes were crimson, and his skin was so pale that it glowed in the sunlight. The man didn't really look like a threat, plus there were, like, a dozen of them and only one of him, so they tried to approach him. But before the hunters could say anything, he grabbed one of 'em and bit him, drained all his blood. The others tried to fight him off, but their weapons didn't do any good, it sorta just bounced off of him. He was really strong, and fast, and almost the entire group was wiped out in a matter of minutes. A couple of the hunters managed to make it back, though, and told the elders what happened. The elders then got together and prayed to the gods for a way to protect the tribe, and fight the creature. Apparently, the elders got their wish, because the very next day, the elite of the warriors in the tribe found themselves able to shapeshift into a wolf, the most revered animal of the tribe. So they got together, went out, and killed the bloodsucker."_

_Jacob stopped for a moment, letting everything sink in. After a few beats of silence, I prompted, "Then what happened?"_

"_Then, one day, they ran into a bigger group of vampires, but they were different. These ones had golden eyes, and they were drinking from animals. Not one to take a chance, the Alpha at that time, Ephraim Black, was about to attack them, when one of 'em spoke up. He said his name was Carlisle Cullen, and he and his 'family' only hunted animals. So the Cullens and the werewolves made a treaty, where the wolves would leave them alone, if they didn't hurt any humans. The Cullens had been moving from place to place, so they stayed here in Forks for just a couple of years, honoring the treaty, before moving on."_

"_Okay, so what does that have to do with anything?" I asked, impatient to get to the point of the story._

"_Well," he explained, "the Cullens are coming back to Forks. Today."_

"_Today?" I asked, surprised._

"_Yeah. I just got word from Sam. He was with my dad in the house when they called. Sam phased and went over to Emily's; he filled us in on the way," Jake said._

"_You mentioned 'family'? How many of them are there?" I asked._

"_Seven, now. There used to be only five. I guess they had two more additions,"he said, with obvious disgust, "The 'kids' are gonna go to Forks High, which is why Sam wanted you to know. He was hoping you could watch 'em, make sure they stick to the treaty and all, since you're the only one of us who goes there, plus they don't know you're loup-garou, so that's a bonus," he said, grinning hopefully._

"_Okay. I'll keep an eye out for them. But you owe me." I smiled impishly._

"_Fine, okay. I already owe you plenty anyway, right?" Jacob asked. Not bothering to answer, I grinned in reply, and turned to go._

"_Hey, Bells?" he called._

"_Yeah?" I answered._

"_Thanks," he said earnestly, "And be careful."_

"_Always."_

Mulling it over, I wasn't sure how I felt about the fact that actual vampires existed. But then, I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised. I wasn't exactly human, myself. Regardless of how I felt about them, I realized I would have to be on guard every second. Even with my abilities, I knew they were stronger, faster, and definitely more indestructible than I was. Hell, I didn't even know if my claws would leave a scratch on their skin, let alone be enough to kill, if any of them went rogue. Sighing as I turned into the school's parking lot, I couldn't help but feel a little on edge at the notion of meeting them for the first time.

Parking my car, I stepped out into the cold weather and slung my bag over my shoulder, shivering when a breeze blew strands of my thick, auburn hair into my face. I pushed my hair away with one hand, and clutched my iPod in the other, slowly starting to make my way through the lot.

Suddenly, and without any warning despite my keen senses, arms snaked around my waist, and someone pressed up against my back. I tensed up, ready to shake the person off, when I recognized the scent of my girlfriend.

"Hey, Rach," I said, relaxing, and leaning back against her, "miss me already?"

"'Course I did. How was I supposed last the night without your goodbye kiss?" she said teasingly. Then I felt her draw back a little, and her voice became anxious.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?"

I didn't answer right away, making it look as if I was pondering the answer, trying to prolong the silence. Then I spun around, keeping Rachel's hands on my waist, and faced her with a grave expression. She waited, holding her breath, the worry evident in her eyes. Unable to keep it in any longer, I broke out in a huge grin, and started to laugh.

"No, of course not. How can I stay mad at you when your face is all serious like that?" I joked, pulling her in for a kiss before she could respond. We broke apart after a few moments, and I suppressed a laugh when I saw her glaring at me. I rested my arms on her shoulders, and leaned in until our foreheads were just touching.

"Hey," I said, lowering my voice to a whisper, "you know I love you, right?"

Rachel's expression softened immediately, and she moved in for another kiss.

"Hey, lovebirds!" someone shouted. I looked up to see Mike, Angela, Jessica, and Eric watching us from a few feet away.

"Better stop smooching and move your butts, or you'll be late for class," Jessica said, smirking. It was immediately met with protests from Mike and Eric, who had been standing with their mouths slightly open. Linking my fingers' with Rachel's, I made her way over to the group, the uneasy feeling still in my gut. It was gonna be an interesting day.

* * *

**Alice POV**

I was getting impatient. All five of us, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Edward and myself, had been stuck in the front office for a while now. Classes were well under way, and as if coming in all together hadn't been bad enough, our delayed appearance was sure to push us even more into the spotlight than we already were. I had no desire to be scrutinized by the student population, despite my usual penchant for attention.

"Are you sure it's not just because you're eager to set your eyes on this girl from your vision?" Edward asked, half-serious. Giving him a sideways glance, and without making an effort to reply, I speculated as to the cause for the vision. Typically, when I received a vision, it was a forewarning, some sort of notification, so we could ready ourselves for what was to come. Was my vision of the girl a warning, cautioning me to stay away? If so, then why did I feel so intrigued by this human girl who had apparently managed to capture my interest? Why weren't my alarm bells ringing, and why, instead, was I tingling at the very thought of meeting her?

I sighed, plopping down onto one of the padded folding chairs provided. The vision had only shown me that sometime in the near future, I would be somewhere in this school with the girl, merely talking at first, but which would gradually lead to something else. It hadn't shown me the circumstances of the situation, nor did I even get the girl's name. I had tried searching my visions, looking for anything that might possibly help, but to no avail. It seemed I would have to wait for a vision to come to me.

"I'm sorry, kids, I can't find them," a voice broke the silence, "It seems you're going to have to go straight to the cafeteria until we can get your schedules in order."

The large, red-haired woman behind the counter was fluttering around, still looking for our papers, no doubt getting more and more nervous every second by our continued presence. Her eyes had widened at the sight of us when we first entered, filing into the small waiting area. Her heart rate had picked up considerably, causing Jasper to have to stand as far away from her as possible. Now, seemingly having given up the search for our timetables, the woman gave us apologetic smiles and directions to the cafeteria, evidently where we were meant to wait until someone came along with further instructions.

Rose, with a scoff, was the first to march out into the hallway, obviously annoyed with the woman's incompetence. Emmett, Jasper, and Edward followed, while I trailed behind them, my thoughts still heavy on the events of the day before.

We arrived at the empty cafeteria in no time, singled out a large table at the far corner, and settled down, waiting for the minutes to pass until the bell rang for lunch. Bored, I looked around, surveying the room, my eyes zipping all over the place until they came to rest on Jasper. We had separated over two decades ago, and yet, at times, it felt like we had broken up only recently. We had been so in love; I couldn't help but wonder what went wrong, what made my feelings change. Guilt started to consume me when I thought of what I could have done to make things different, I should have payed more attention, should've made more of an effort, should've–

"Alice," Jasper said tenderly, wrecking my train of thought. I looked up at the man I used to love, who was gazing back at me with caring eyes that told me it was okay, that we were okay, that I didn't have to feel guilty about anything. I gave him a weak smile, unfazed that he had been able to guess what I was thinking about. He always _was_ the one who could read me best, save for Edward. Just then, a loud, piercing noise sounded, snapping me out of my reverie. It was the lunch bell, indicating that students would be pouring into the cafeteria at any moment. Fixing my eyes on the double doors at the far end, I straightened up, biting my lip in anticipation. This was the moment I had been waiting for.

* * *

**End Chapter 2.**

**A/N: Sorry to leave it hanging like that, but I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize if there are any other stories out there portraying Bella as loup-garou (it's French for werewolf), I didn't mean to steal the idea, I actually adapted it from Annette Curtis Klause's **_**Blood & Chocolate**_**. So, yeah, until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

***Re-posted, with minor changes.**

**A/N: Sorry for the long update, I was busy with college applications and stuff. Anyway, here's Chapter 3, it's the cafeteria scene, plus more on Bella's background, all in her perspective. Next chapter will mostly be from Alice's viewpoint. Also, sorry if the unfinished conversations are too confusing, it'll be explained in the next chapter. So, here it is, hope it's not too boring (I apologize for the crappy dialogue-not my strongest point). Enjoy :)**

**Chapter 3**

**Bella POV**

It was pure torture. Being forced to listen to the sharp, nasal voice that was Mrs Hagen going on and on about some meaningless thing that happened back in the '20s was just plain cruel. How anyone was supposed to concentrate with her screeching away like nails on a chalkboard, I would never understand. It was like asking someone not to think about a pink elephant–you get the complete opposite of the desired effect. Attempting to get at least something in my head, I tried to focus on the words that were coming out of Mrs Hagen's mouth instead of the voice that was speaking them. After a measly couple of seconds, I admitted defeat, mentally declaring that it was absolutely and utterly pointless, because how the hell was I expected to concentrate with that woman squawking away like a parrot, and no one in that class should have to be subjected to the awful–

The shrill, piercing sound of the lunch bell disrupted my internal rambling. Silently thanking the gods, I quickly gathered my things and rushed out of the classroom, eager for the respite I knew the hour-long break would provide. My excitement was short-lived, however, when I remembered that the Cullens would be there. I slowed my pace to a painful crawl, my cheerful mood plunging at the thought of being confronted by a group of vampires. As I neared the double doors that led to the cafeteria, which at the moment were almost constantly open due to the steady influx of students, I spotted my friends. I quickly hurried over to the group, managing to catch part of their conversation.

"–all adopted, I think. At least, that's what I heard from my cousin, June; she works at the hospital where Dr Cullen will be. Apparently, he and his wife took them all in or something," I heard Jessica say. As I approached, I saw Eric look up, having caught his attention.

"Hey, Bella," he greeted, "we were just waiting for you. Rachel said to go ahead, she just has to see Mr Simmons for a sec. She says to tell you that she'll see you in there," he added. I smiled my thanks, and said hi to the rest of them.

"Hey, guys. So, you were talking about the new kids?"

"Yeah," Jess replied, "I was just about to say how I think it's kinda weird that Dr and Mrs Cullen adopted five teenagers. I mean, aren't young couples usually all for the little babies?"

"I dunno," Mike responded, "maybe they took pity on them or something? Come on, they're inside right now," he said, jerking his head.

As the group began to move towards the cafeteria, I could feel my heart rate pick up. This was it. My very first vampire-sighting. It was a big moment. I hung back a little, and took deep breaths, composing myself. It wouldn't do me any good to tempt them with my blood even more than they already were. Then, I squared my shoulders, raised my chin, and walked towards the doors, ready to face them head-on. A split second before my hands made contact with the cheap metal handles, I found herself wondering if they would be able to distinguish my scent as a werewolf's. I didn't have time to ponder the question, however, because I was in.

With my keen eyesight, I was quickly able to spot the Cullens, all sitting together at a table in the far corner of the room. Even without my heightened senses, all the hushed conversations, and sneaky glimpses flung their way, I knew I would easily have been able to distinguish the vampires from the other students. They stood out like a sore thumb. Well, not really a _sore_ thumb. More like, pale, beautiful, intriguing thumbs, but that was beside the point. There were five of them; three boys and two girls. They were all huddled together, clearly trying to ignore the fact that they were the focus of attention of every student there. They were talking quietly amongst themselves, and with all the background chatter, my sharp hearing was only able to make out a few sentences here and there.

"–do you see her, Alice? I think most of the students–"

"–haven't seen her anywhere. Edward–"

"–sure she'll show up, though? I mean, your vision never actually showed her being here today, neither did it–"

"–it's entirely possible that she might–"

"–suppose you're right, but I just can't help but feel–"

"–Rose, what are you doing?–"

"–do you smell that? It's strange, like I can't really get a good grip on the scent–"

"–I don't smell anything, babe–"

"–can't put my finger on it–"

"–that's her."

I watched in disbelief as five pairs of golden eyes turned to look at me all at once. I found it very disturbing that thay were all looking at me; it must mean they knew I wasn't human, and were suspicious. Damn! I didn't think they'd know so soon. Nevertheless, I met their stares bluntly, almost defiantly, unwilling to give in to the fear I knew was growing inside me. Unflinching, I went from face to face, slowly taking in their guarded expressions, until my gaze came to rest upon that of the last vampire, the smallest one. As were the rest of them, the small one was stunning, her striking features enhanced by the spiky, dark hair she was sprouting. Her eyes were a mesmerizing shade of honey, and as they gazed intensely into mine, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body, as though something inside me recognized what I was looking at, like a long lost lover. Caught in a penetrating stare, I felt like this girl could see right through me, as if the vampire knew exactly _what_ I was, but that somehow it was all right. Something about this girl made me feel profoundly safe, for some strange reason. I stood there, unmoving, for what seemed like forever, until I felt a hand rest on my arm. I tore my eyes away from the vampire's dazzling, amber ones to find my girlfriend standing next to me.

"Hey," Rachel said, smiling, "were you waiting for me?"

"Uh, yeah," I said shakily, coming out of my daze, "Did everything with Simmons go okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask him if I could come up with my own topic instead of using one from the list he gave us for an assignment. The ones he prepared are all so boring, I mean, who'd wanna do an essay on the bad plumbing in the girls' toilet?" Rachel asked, snorting.

"No!" I said in mock outrage, my temporarily negligent senses coming back on full alert, "Not the plumbing! That'd be too easy!" I couldn't help the grin that broke out across my features.

"Shut up, smartass. Now, are we just gonna stand here all day, or are you planning on eating anytime soon?" Rachel asked, smiling sweetly.

"C'mon, let's get our food. The guys are already sitting over there," I said, slipping my hand into hers and pulling her towards the line, trying to shake off the sense of discomfort at feeling five pairs of eyes boring holes into my back.

"Bells?" Rachel said suddenly, fixing me with an unreadable expression, "do you think we could just sit by ourselves today? There's kinda something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah, sure," I replied, piling food onto her tray, my interest spiked. As we walked towards an empty table, I gave Angela a small wave, indicating that we wouldn't be joining them.

"So what did you wanna talk about?" I asked once we sat down, conscious that the vamps could hear every word; Jake had mentioned that their hearing was very good, better than any of the wolves'. I tried tuning in into their conversation, curious to hear what they were so vehemently discussing, as well as keeping part of my attention on the green-eyed brunette in front of me.

"Well, I've been thinking–"

"–_should just stay away from her. It's obvious–"_

"–_not like I'm gonna jump her right now–"_

"–in that time, you've just made me feel so safe, and–"

"–_you know my visions are something I can't control. And the ones–"_

"–you've been so patient with me, and–"

"–_always a reason for your visions, and this time is no exception–"_

"–I think I'm at a point where I wanna be open about our relationship," Rachel said, causing me to refocus my attention back on my girlfriend.

"Huh? Rach, I hate to break it to you, but I think most of the student body already knows that we're a couple. I mean, all the kissing and hand-holding is like, a dead giveaway," I said sarcastically.

"No," she said, rolling her eyes, "I meant, I wanna be open about it to my family. I think it's time I came out."

"Are you sure?" I asked, surprised, she had never expressed any interest in making her parents aware of our relationship, even after she knew I had told Charlie, and I hadn't pushed her, "I mean, this is a really big decision, and I don't want you to end up regretting it later on if it doesn't go well."

"Yes, I'm sure. Everyone else already knows, anyway. I feel like it's time my parents did, too," Rachel replied, slowly stroking her thumb along the back of my hand.

"But what if they freak, and send you off to some boarding school far away, then I won't get to see you anymore, and I don't know if we'll be able to do the whole long-distance relationship thing–" I was cut off.

"They won't. It'll be fine. Even Charlie was okay with it, wasn't he? So there's no reason to panic; it's not like they're homophobic or anything. Plus, they love Charlie, so when we tell them that he took it well, they'll be more reassured. Everything'll be fine," she said, consolingly.

I became silent for a moment, contemplating what Rachel had said. While it _was_ true that Charlie had taken my news of being gay rather well, I wouldn't have went as far as to say that he was okay with it. Even now, after 2 months, he was still trying to set me up with Jake. I supposed I should've just been thankful that he didn't kick me out. I recalled how scared I'd been the night I decided to tell him the truth; afraid that he'd disown me as easily as he and Renee had taken me in. I couldn't imagine anything worse than having no home, no place where I belonged, which was why I was grateful every day that I'd been so lucky as to have been adopted by such amazing people.

I didn't really remember much about my adoption; I was only 5 at the time, so the memories I had were scarce. When I was a little older, Charlie and Renee had sat me down and told me everything they knew about my background and where I came from. I had just turned 10 that day, when I found out that Charlie and Renee Swan weren't my biological parents, and that they had adopted me from an orphanage in Alessandria, Italy, during their honeymoon there. They told me what they knew; that I was found sitting on the steps outside, with no memory of who I was or how I got there, and that all I had were the clothes I was wearing and the name _Isabella_ written on my palm. Subsequently, I had tried to find out more about my origins, even going so far as to contact the orphanage to see if anyone had come for me, but to no avail. I wasn't usually one to give up very easily, but that year, a few months after I'd had my 11th birthday, Charlie and Renee were beginning to have problems in their marriage. They divorced not long after that, with Renee moving to Denver, Colorado to stay with her sister, and taking me with her. Eventually, we moved out and got our own place, where we stayed for the next 6 years. I would spend my vacations back in Forks with Charlie, as well as the occasional long weekend.

It was only when I turned 15, and my powers started to develop, when I realized that I wasn't exactly normal. I had been in the middle of an exam, one I had studied extensively for, when I heard a slight tapping sound. Ignoring it as another student's method of helping them think, I had gone back to my paper, determined to ace it. After a while, the incessant tapping grew louder, until I finally looked up and around for the source of the noise. Seeing everyone quietly working on their paper, I became confused. It had occurred to me at the time that maybe the stress of the exams was getting to my head. I had started to panic, thinking I must've gone crazy, when I spotted a boy through the window. He was listening to his iPod, drumstick in his hand, and tapping it against the hood of his car. At first, I'd thought it wasn't possible; how was I able to hear all the way to the parking lot? Then, as I watched the boy, I realized that every 'tap' I heard was directly synchronized to the movements of the wooden head of the drumstick hitting against the car. From then, my powers progressively grew, until I had heightened senses of hearing, sight, and smell.

The day I first turned into a wolf, I had been so terrified; I had no idea what was happening to me, or what I was changing into. After the change, when I was in my wolf form, I had felt liberated, like I was finally comfortable in that skin, but at the same time, I hadn't known if I was able to change back. When I finally did, I had gone home deliberating over whether or not to tell Renee. I had decided to keep it to myself then, not wanting to give my mother any reason to regret adopting me. In addition, that was when she had just started dating again, and I hadn't wanted to disrupt the blissful bubble she had going with Phil Dwyer, a baseball player. After much research, and experimentation, I had eventually come to the conclusion that I was a loup-garou. It meant that my parents had to have been loup-garou as well, seeing as you can only be born one.

When Phil and my mom married, I decided to go to Forks and live with Charlie, so they could move around more. I was 17 when I'd arrived here, feeling instantly at home, what with all the greenery. I became fast friends with Jacob, and the other La Push kids, whom I later on found out, were a lot like me. They helped me deal with what I was, and made me feel at ease with myself. They'd done a lot for me. Billy and I had decided to keep my abilities from Charlie at the moment; what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"So? What do you think? Should I tell them before or after their anniversary?" Rachel interrupted my mental recollection of my life story.

"I think after; they'd be in a better mood," I replied. "Do you want me to be there with you?"

"No, I feel like it's something I have to do on my own. But I appreciate you offering," Rachel said, giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're welcome," I said, smiling, "Come on, we should get to class."

* * *

**End Chapter 3.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I thought I should mention here that I sometimes go into a reading phase, where I sort of put my story on hold for a few weeks, and do some major reading, before I pick it up again. So, I apologize for the long wait, but here it is, chapter 4.**

**P.S. Sorry I had to make Alice all moody so far, it was necessary , but I promise she'll go back to being the hyper, little pixie we all know and love soon!**

**Chapter 4**

**Alice POV**

This was the moment I had been waiting for. I would finally get to set eyes on the girl who had so enigmatically managed to take over my mind, filling it with the lingering images of desperate kisses, and illicit caresses. I recalled the way her gorgeous mahogany hair framed that perfect, heart-shaped face, the one I longed to run my fingers through. Most captivating, however, were the eyes. The deep, rich pools of chocolate were what captured my attention the most; her eyes were the one thing that had shaken me to my core, as though they had an innate ability to know me, to know everything about me. I shook my head slightly; this was preposterous! I hadn't even met the girl, and here I was, fantasizing about her like a hormone-crazed teenager. Berating myself for getting carried away, I saw the corners of my brother's mouth turn up, suppressing a smile. Great. Now even Edward knew how _excited_ I was. Ugh.

Turning my attention back to the room, I watched as it began to fill up with noisy adolescents. I chanced a quick look at Jasper, hoping he was okay; the sudden flood of humans couldn't have been too comfortable for him. Sensing my concern, he gave me a reassuring smile, telling me he was fine. Focusing back on the students, I searched the faces, looking for the one that had been etched into my memory. I couldn't help but feel a little shiver of aniticipation at meeting this girl. It was refreshing. This feeling of looking forward to something was an emotion I hadn't encountered in a while; I revelled in it.

Although, at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive at the thought of bringing change into my life, because I knew that once I opened the door, there would be no going back. Aside from the fact that I still had Jasper to consider, I also had to contend with the reality that I could possibly be venturing into a relationship with a girl. This was a little. . . strange, to me, to say the least, not because I was opposed to same sex relationships or anything, but because it was something new and unfamiliar. Well, maybe not exactly _new_, there was that one time in the woods with Irina from the Denali coven. We were hunting, and I had just drained my second bear when, all of a sudden, we were just kissing. Maybe it was the aftereffects of the hunt or something, I didn't know. But then again, there _was_ something funky about the bear's blood, maybe that was it. . .

Feeling Edward shake beside me in silent laughter, I turned to glare at him, forbidding him from saying a word to the others, which only resulted in him bursting out in laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. As the rest of them looked on in amusement, Emmett, oblivious as always, puckered his brows in confusion.

"What? What's so funny?" he asked, switching his gaze back and forth between Edward and me.

"Nothing," I replied hastily, and gave Jasper a meaningful look, pleading for a distraction. Emmett was very persistent, but he could also be very easily sidetracked.

"So, do you see her, Alice? I think most of the students are already in here," Jasper said, catching on.

"No," I sighed, scanning the crowds once more, "I haven't seen her anywhere. Edward, you know how she looks like; have you spotted her?"

"No. Are you sure she'll show up, though? I mean, your vision never actually showed her being here today, neither did it give any indication of when this _occurrence_ would take place," he said, referring to my little intimate session with the girl. "Don't you think it's entirely possible that she might show up a year from now?"

I frowned, considering the idea. I hadn't thought about that. I'd been so consumed by just the notion of finally meeting this girl that I didn't stop to consider the possibility that I might have to wait a little longer.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," I replied resignedly, "but I just can't help but feel like today's the day. It's not as definite or distinct as my visions, call it precognition or whatever, but somehow I just know that. . .Rose, what are you doing?"

Rosalie was tilting her head at an angle, inhaling and exhaling deeply, as if trying to get a whiff of something. On anyone else, the action would've been perfectly normal, like a kid smelling freshly baked cookies; but it was somewhat bizarre for a vampire to do so, seeing as we had a superb sense of smell. Frowning, Rosalie was silent for a few moments, as though she didn't even realize what she had been doing.

"Do you smell that?" she asked quietly, "It's strange, like I can't really get a good grip on the scent. It smells like. . .lavender, or rose, maybe."

"Where?" Emmett asked, placing an arm around her, "I don't smell anything, babe."

"I don't know where it's coming from," she replied, looking frustrated, "I can't put my finger on it. The scent is almost imperceptible."

Suddenly, I jerked upright. I could smell it. I could smell her. The scent was undoubtedly feminine. It smelled wonderful, resembling a blend of lavender and rose, but there was also a small yet noticeable woodsy aroma, like cedar and pine, that gave the scent a slight aggressive edge. I breathed in deeply, following my nose until my eyes rested upon the figure of a girl standing near the entrance of the cafeteria. To my surprise, I found myself looking at the girl from the vision.

"That's her," I said, my voice barely a whisper. The girl didn't seem perturbed in the least by the fact that she had all five of the new kids eyeballing her at the same time. In truth, she seemed to be returning every one of our stares, consecutively, with a challenge in her inscrutable brown eyes. When our eyes met, I sucked in a breath, feeling the familiarity of the powerful gaze wash over me, though I had experienced it only once before. I wanted to break away, but it seemed as though we were caught in some sort of duel, each waiting for the other to fail. But more than that, it was as if I literally couldn't look away; like we were connected on some level, it was a little overwhelming. The sense of being linked to one another was reminiscent of what I experienced during my vision. This, however, was far more intense and forceful; vision-girl had nothing on the real thing.

She was the first to sever eye contact. I released a trembling breath, not realizing that I had been holding it in the whole time. This human had shaken me up, more than I wanted to admit, with a mere gaze. I watched as she exchanged what looked like playful banter with another brunette, presumably her friend.

"So, that's the girl?" Emmett asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I can totally see you guys getting it on," he said with a smirk, earning an elbow jab in the ribs from Rosalie.

"I can't read her," Edward announced sharply, his face scrunched up in concentration.

"What?" I asked, my attention diverted.

"I can't read her mind. It's like there's something blocking me," he replied.

I remained still, unsure of how to react. I found my eyes drifting over to where the girl and her friend were queuing to get their food. Awareness slowly seeped into me as I listened to their conversation. Wait. No. No, it couldn't be. I watched, eyes wide in disbelief, as my suspicions were confirmed when the pair joined hands, walking to a vacant table. They were together?!

I looked to Edward for confirmation. He gave a slight nod, looking at me sympathetically. I was taken aback. _This_, I hadn't expected, which was ironic, considering I could see the future. While I had known about her for only a few days, through a vision, no less, I still felt somewhat upset that this girl, _my_ girl was already in a relationship. How was I supposed to get close to her now?

"Alice, I think you should just stay away from her. It's obvious she's already in a relationship," Rosalie started. "I don't think it's wise to get involved with someone we know nothing about, not to mention the fact that Edward can't read her. There's also that strange scent thing going on."

"I can smell her just fine, Rose. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna jump her right now, and you know my visions are something I can't control. And the ones I get out of nowhere always mean something," I retorted, neglecting to reveal that it wasn't just my vision that made me curious about the girl; it was also the pull I felt towards her, though I still couldn't account for that.

"You're right," Jasper said, "there's always been a reason for your visions, and this time is no exception."

I smiled at him gratefully, knowing he could feel my confusion about the entire thing. He always _had_ been supportive of her decisions, no matter what. I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms, more out of clarity than comfort. As much as I felt compelled to know this girl, I reasoned that Rose did have a point, however blunt her logic was. We didn't know a thing about the girl, not even her name. It would be foolhardy to plunge into anything, without first gaining some background knowledge on the girl.

"Isabella Swan," Edward said, distracting me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I responded.

"Bella. That's her name," he replied.

Oh. It was a lovely name, and it fit her perfectly. But it didn't change the fact that I still didn't know about her background, where she was from, or if she was even human. For one thing, her scent didn't ignite the bloodlust in me that I typically felt around humans, which would've been strange in itself, but add that to the fact that no one else on my family seemed to be able to properly detect her smell except for me, and how Edward couldn't read her mind, just made the entire thing very odd.

My train of thought was disrupted when I felt a vision coming on. The bright lights of the cafeteria disappeared as I found myself looking at Forks High's parking lot.

_The sky was overcast, and the initial light drizzle was quickly turning into a heavy downpour. Bella was standing by a yellow Chevy Nova, the only car there, frustration evident on her features. As her clothes began to get soaked, the brunette whipped out her phone and started to dial._

I smiled as the vision ended, finding three faces looking at me in concern.

"What do you see, Alice?" Rosalie asked, just as the bell rang.

"Opportunity."

* * *

**Jasper POV**

After the bell rang, finally signaling the end of lunch, one of the school administrators had come up to us and given us our schedules. Alice and I had Calculus next, and were slowly making our way to the class, trying to prolong the oh-so-pleasant experience of being stuck in a room with all those humans for an hour. I glanced at her; she'd been very quiet since we left the cafeteria. Her face betrayed nothing, but I knew she was feeling a multitude of emotions at the moment, primarily confusion and conflict. I knew I could help put her mind at ease, but I felt like it was something she had to work through by herself. She'd been so down lately, that I was content to leave her with her feelings for now. We arrived at the class, and was greeted by the teacher, who immediately projected waves of lust upon seeing Alice. Ugh, pervert.

"Hi. You must be the new kids. Please take your seats, by Ms Swan over there," Mr Williams said, gesturing towards the back.

I felt Alice stiffen in surprise, as my eyes sought out the girl. Bella was tense, and wary, though her face didn't show it. I held my breath as we made our way to the back of the class, taking out seats. I felt Alice's resolve strengthen a split second before she turned to the girl beside her.

"Hi. I'm Alice Cullen," she said, giving her a smile. In the second it took Bella to respond, I felt the range of emotions she experienced. Shock, confusion, panic, uncertainty, and thrill ran through her, before settling into caution.

"Bella Swan," the brunette replied, reaching for Alice's outstretched hand. The instant their fingertips touched, the two girls both let out a small gasp, as they both felt a spark. It was like the first meeting all over again; I felt the same remarkable connection. Their moment was interrupted when the teacher cleared his throat.

"Ms Cullen, if you're all settled in, can we begin?" Mr Williams called out.

"Y-yes, of course, Mr Williams," Alice replied shakily, as I felt her trying to work herself into a calm state. Bella was doing the exact same thing; the physical contact had affected her just as much as it had Alice.

The rest of the class went smoothly, and I tried not to think about how easily it would be to just snap all their necks, and relieve the thirst; they wouldn't even know what hit them. Strangely, though, sitting in such close proximity to Bella wasn't as torturous as I had initially expected it to be; while I could still hear her heart beating, her scent did nothing for my bloodlust. I could barely smell it. It was as if she were miles rather than inches away. I still had the rest of the class to contend with, however, and I was trying to avoid breathing as much as possible. Alice must have noticed my discomfort because she whispered softly, too soft for human ears to catch.

"Relax, Jazz," she said, "you're not going to hurt anyone."

* * *

**Alice POV**

When school ended, I went directly to the Volvo, not bothering to linger around; I knew I knew I'd see her again later. Edward drove off as soon as we were all in the car, and we arrived in next to no time. As I bounded through the doors of our two-storey home, I flew past a startled Esme, and headed straight for my room. I was eager for my vision to play out.

As I went to my closet to look for something appropriate to wear in the rain, I heard Esme asking the others if I'd hunted chipmunks again; those little buggers had me on a high for an entire week the last time. Jazz even had to keep his distance, or he would've been squealing at everything in sight, just from the amount of emotion I was giving off. It had been a bit much, even for me.

I quickly changed and left, hoping to do some thinking before I approached Bella. When I reached the school, I turned off the engine and leaned back, staring out the windshield. I knew I had to sort out my jumble of feelings before I went any further. On the one hand, I would've loved nothing more than to release all my inhibitions and just pursue this _thing_ with Bella; I wasn't used to being taken by surprise, and the unpredictability of the situation was refreshing. On the other hand, getting involved with her brought about a myriad of issues that couldn't be ignored. First and foremost, there was the whole keeping-the-existence-of-vampires-a-secret-from-humans thing. Though, if she weren't human (something which I still was unsure of at the moment), it would be redundant.

Secondly, she already had a girlfriend, one that she was, apparently, very much in love with. It would be unethical and wrong of me to try and engage in any sort of relationship with her, because my intentions were definitely more than friendly. The best course of action would be to stay away from her, like Rose said. And yet, I couldn't help the pang I felt at the thought of not interacting with her every day. Besides, I don't even know if she would want to build a friendship with me; I had only said four words to her. Still, didn't she feel that spark when our hands touched earlier? She did. I knew she did. I could see it in her eyes; she was just as surprised as I was.

Right then and there, I decided that I would not, no, _could not_, stay away from her. I would talk to her, get to know her, and just see what happens. Damn the consequences.

* * *

**End Chapter 4.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry if you're getting a second update for this, I just edited the author's note at the bottom.**

**Chapter 5**

**Bella POV**

I let loose. The wind whipped around me as I pushed myself to go faster than anyone should be able to. I had made sure that the place was empty before I started, so I didn't have to worry about being caught. My heart pounded as I raced around the track, relishing this rare moment where I could just be myself. The indoor stadium was fairly new; the school had it built only recently in an effort to get the students more involved in physical activity, so they left it open for anyone who wanted to use it. In the previous year, I would frequent it once a week, usually mid-week, but today had been a little stressful, and I knew that the chances of anyone being here on the first day were slim, so I decided to come. What better way to work out your feelings than to sweat it out?

Rachel had headed home after school, intending to talk to her parents. I wasn't too worried about that; they'd loved me so far. Weighing more heavily on my mind were the bloo- vampires. They weren't so bad, really. They just kept to themselves, maybe to avoid temptation. It couldn't have been easy denying their nature, which was why I didn't hate them like Jake did; I wasn't brought up with the prejudices of the Quileute legends. I was more concerned about what had transpired between me and the small one – Alice. I wasn't sure how to describe it, exactly. It was like a connection or something. When our eyes met in the cafeteria, I felt so . . . moved, like she was altering me so deeply. I felt more in those few seconds than I ever did in my entire life, and that scared me. So when Rachel came, I was glad to be interrupted; it was too intense. I just pushed it to the back of my mind, and focused on my girlfriend. I was getting good at that – compartmentalizing.

So, to say I was shocked, when everything I'd felt in the cafeteria came flooding back the moment we touched in that class, would've been an understatement. No one had ever been able to make me come undone so suddenly before. The idea that someone I had just met, a vampire no less, could do that to me, was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

I pumped my legs harder, pushing my limits. I could feel the sweat trickling down my back as my heart hammered against my chest. To the human eye, I would've been a blur long before I attained that speed, but with my enhanced eyesight, I was still able to process every detail within range. Therefore, it came as a surprise to me when I felt my sixth sense kick in, causing me to jerk to a stop.

I was being watched.

Breathing heavily, I quickly scanned the area, searching for any signs of life. I frowned as the stadium looked perfectly empty. I couldn't rely on my hearing - the sound of the raindrops against the metal roof nearly drowned everything out - nor could I smell anything other than the clean air. It would seem that I was the only one there, and yet, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was another presence here.

Either way, I had to get home and cook for Charlie, plus, Jacob would want an update on the vamp situation. I grabbed my things and headed for the showers.

When I was done, the rain still hadn't let up, though I'd taken my time. I'd expected it to have stopped by now; it was still slightly drizzling. I sifted through the bunch of keys in my hand until I found the right one, unlocked the car, and quickly got in. I threw my things onto the passenger seat beside me before putting the keys into the ignition. As soon as I tried to start the car, a horrible whining sound came from the engine. No. No way.

I tried again.

And again.

"Argh, crap!" I yelled, slamming my palms against the steering wheel. I _knew_ ignoring the clanking noises the engine had been making would come back to bite me in the ass. I sighed. Maybe I'd take a look at the engine, see if there was anything I could do. I popped the hood, took the keys out of the ignition, and got out of the car. After a few seconds of inspecting the black and silver mass of metal, I sighed to myself. Who was I kidding? I had no clue what I was even looking at. I pulled out my cell, punching in Rachel's number angrily. How did I always get myself into these situations? And it didn't help that the rain was now coming down in torrents either, soaking my clothes. Ugh.

"Hey, Bella!"

I started when I heard a musical voice calling my name, and turned to find myself looking at Alice Cullen. What was she doing here? I hadn't expected to see anyone else this late.

"Hey . . . Alice," I replied uneasily.

"Having trouble with your car?" she asked, as the rain started to somewhat tame her dark hair.

"Uh, yeah. It won't start," I said, "but I was just gonna call my-"

"Don't be silly. My car is right over there," she interrupted, gesturing towards a dark blue Volkswagen Beetle parked in the corner that I hadn't noticed before.

I hesitated, reconsidering my decision to call Rachel. I didn't really wanna disturb her, what with her coming out to her parents and all. But then again, getting into a car with a vampire was _so_ not a good idea, especially since I didn't know if I could defend myself around them.

"Come on, we're both practically soaked, and I have a heater in my car," she said, bright eyes sparkling at me beneath her wet lashes.

The cold wasn't actually bothering me much, because of my temperature, but it _would_ be nice to get in her warm and dry car. Oh, what the heck, Alice didn't seem all that threatening.

"Okay, yeah. That'd be great, thanks," I said, my heart accelerating as she beamed at me in response. Weird.

I grabbed my things and followed her across the lot, pausing to put them in the back of the car, before joining her at the front. As I closed the door, I was immediately assaulted with a heavenly scent of apples and cinnamon. Whoa, what was that smell? My eyes darted around the small space, searching, until realization dawned on me. It was Alice. Holy crap, she smelled _good_! I took a deep breath, enjoying the sensation of being warmed all the way down to my toes. Wait, this didn't make sense. Weren't they supposed to smell really bad? Maybe the wolves made a mistake. Or maybe the vampires' scents affected me differently. I made a mental note to ask Jake about it when I called him later.

As the car pulled away from the parking lot, we settled into an uncomfortable silence. I had no idea what to say to her. What do you say to a vampire, your best friend's mortal enemy, whom you just met and who doesn't know that you know what she is? I sneaked a glance in her direction and saw that her face was pulled into a frown, as though deep in thought. I briefly wondered what she was thinking about, before turning away to look out the window. The silence stretched, and I found myself racking my brains to come up with something to talk about. Maybe I could talk about the weather. No, there was perpetual rain in Forks, nothing interesting there. Or, I could bring up school? Ask her if - hey, wait!

"How come you were in school so late?" I asked, suddenly remembering.

"Hmm?" She blinked a few times before looking at me.

"How come you were still in school? Everyone else already went home," I repeated, curious.

"Oh, I had to go see Mrs Cope about my schedule. I was trying to convince her to let me drop Spanish; I'd already taken it in my previous school," she replied, without missing a beat.

"Alaska, right?" I asked, having heard the rumors.

"Yes. We thought it was time for a change, and Carlisle, my father, wanted to take up the new position at the hospital," she said.

"The hospital?" I asked, tensing up. How was he working around all that blood?

"Yes. He started today," she answered, sending me a puzzled look.

"Oh, right. So, how many siblings do you have?" I said, quickly changing the subject.

"Four. We're all adopted, and Rosalie and Jasper are twins. There's also Edward, and Emmett, who's dating Rose."

"Your parents don't mind that they're together?"

"Not really. Carlisle and Esme trust that they'll keep things . . . appropriate. What about you? Any siblings?"

"Not that I know of. Charlie and Renee adopted me when I was 5, from an orphanage in Italy, and I don't really know anything about my biological parents, or where I was before that."

"Have you tried to find out more?"

"Yeah, but I don't really have much to go on. All I know is that I just turned up one day with nothing except my name. It's kinda hard to track down your parents when you don't even know your last name."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up all . . . this," she said, remorse evident on her features.

I just then realized how much I had revealed about myself. Crap. And here I was, thinking I could play it cool. I'd only known her for a few hours, and I was already spilling my guts.

"It's fine," I assured her, "I guess I still have some abandonment issues," I said jokingly. She laughed, a pleasant sound to my ears, and I couldn't help but smile in response.

"I know exactly how you feel. Until about a year ago, I couldn't remember anything before I turned 15."

"Amnesia?"

"Yes. That's what the doctors diagnosed it as, anyway. Then one day, this man turned up. He knew me from . . . before, and after he told me my story, I discovered that I was better off not knowing. Since then, I've come to terms with myself, and I understand that this is my life now, and that Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Edward are my true family," Alice finished, just as we pulled up to my house.

"You love them," I observed. The love and sincerity she radiated left no room for doubt. It was hard to believe that this was the same heartless monster Jake was talking about.

"Yes, very much so. They're the only family I know," she said, staring at me in an unfathomable way. Again, I found myself drawn to those eyes, like something was pulling me in, and I was powerless to stop it. More importantly, I realized, I didn't want to.

Suddenly, Alice drew back a little; we had both been subconsciously leaning towards each other. I moved back a little, putting some distance between us. How was she able to do that? Strip away all my defences without even trying, leaving me so vulnerable? With just that one look, I felt more exposed than I'd ever been. It was too much, too fast. Too intense. I had to get out.

"Um, thanks for the ride," I mumbled, and quickly got out of the car, not giving her a chance to reply. I was almost to the door when I caught a soft, "You're welcome."

* * *

The next few weeks flew by in a blur. I got up, went to school, avoided Alice, spent time with Rachel, patrolled. It became a routine. I couldn't deal with what happened that first day just yet; all those confusing emotions became something that I gladly put to the back of my mind. I had more important things to think about - the pack, my girlfriend's parents, my girlfriend's birthday, homework . . . well, maybe not the last one, but still. It was just easier to push it aside.

I pulled myself out of my head, and re-focused on my closet, which I'd been staring at for the past couple of minutes. I grabbed whatever I saw first and headed downstairs. Charlie had already left, so I went to the kitchen, seized a banana, and leaned against the counter while waiting for Rachel to pick me up, seeing as my car was still with Jake.

I'd just thrown away the peel when I heard a honk from outside. I took my things and exited the house, locking the door behind me. I quickly jogged to the truck, not worrying about slipping in the snow; I had a superb sense of balance since I started gaining my abilities. I got in, and greeted Rachel with a kiss.

"Hey," she said, "you're in a good mood today."

"Yup. It's Thursday, which means tomorrow's Friday, which is your birthdaay!" I sang happily, "And then we'll have the celebratory barbecue on Saturday, down at First Beach!"

"You know, you'd think that with all this enthusiasm that it's _your_ birthday, not mine," she replied with an amused smile.

"I'm excited to give you your present, that's all. I just don't know if you'll like it, or-"

"I'm sure I'll love it," she said reassuringly, before her expression changed. "But I'm more excited about the after," she said seductively, as the truck came to a stop in the Fork's High parking lot.

"Hmm, you're right," I replied, feigning concern, "how _are_ we gonna get all your presents to fit in my car? I suppose we could always get Charlie to lend us some boot space-" I broke off as she slapped my arm playfully.

"You know very well that wasn't what I was talking about. Unless," she said, her tone challenging, "you don't think you can keep up with me."

I gasped in mock outrage, my hand fluttering to my chest dramatically. "Puh-lease, I can take you on anytime, anywhere," I retorted, folding my hands.

"Yeah, yeah, come on you sex machine, we gotta get to class."

* * *

I plopped down onto the empty seat beside Angela, as Rachel took the seat next to me.

"Hey, where are the rest of the guys?" I asked her, surveying the cafeteria for Mike, Jessica, and Eric.

"Jess was feeling sick, so she went home," Angela answered.

"And Mike and Eric have to stay in class for the entire lunch hour cos' Mr Richards caught them texting each other," Ben piped up.

"But don't they sit side by side?" Rachel asked, confused.

"Yeah, but Mike was telling Eric about his plan to ask Alice Cullen out, and he didn't want anyone overhearing," he replied.

"Mike wants to ask Alice out?" I asked, frowning. I didn't know why that bothered me, but it did. I'd had minimal contact with her since the first day, responding with one-word answers or non-committal shrugs whenever she questioned me, yet I was jealous at the thought of her and Mike.

"Yeah, but every time he decides to do it, she seems to be able to evade him. It's like she knows or something," Ben said, glancing over at the Cullens.

I followed suit, catching the end of a conversation.

"-looks like you've got another admirer, Alice. Too bad you don't play for that team anymore, huh?" Emmett said mischievously.

Alice was gay?

* * *

I walked silently beside Rachel as we made our way to her truck after school, my thoughts plagued with the discovery of Alice's sexual orientation. What did it matter to me that she was gay? If I'd known about it earlier, would it have changed my mind about avoiding her like I'd been the past few weeks? If she were gay, would that mean she felt what I did when we touched? That spark of attraction? And what would it mean for me and Rachel? As I contemplated these questions, I heard a familiar voice shout out.

"NO!"

I turned and locked gazes with Alice, who had a horrified expression on her face, before getting distracted by the increasingly loud squealing noise. I quickly twisted my body, and saw a large van spinning out of control. It was heading towards Rachel's truck, which we were in front of. Reacting on instinct, I grabbed Rachel by her upper arms and rapidly shoved her out of the path of the incoming vehicle. We both fell to the ground, her arm giving a resounding crack as I landed heavily on it. An instant later, the van flew past where we lay, just inches away, before crashing into the truck. The sound reverberated around the parking lot for a few moments, and then settled into silence, which was followed by a break-out of screams and shouts. I swiftly rolled off my girlfriend, and called out to her.

"Rach?" I said softly, "Are you okay?"

She groaned as I cradled her head, taking special care not to jostle her arm. I looked up as the crowd swarmed around us, my gaze fixed on one particular group of students who'd hung back. The Cullens faces were a mixture of shock and disbelief. They'd caught everything. They'd seen how inhumanly fast I was. Crap.

**End Chapter 5.**

**A/N: I realized as I was writing the end of this chapter that the accident doesn't add up - why would Tyler be speeding into the parking lot if it's the end of school? Sorry about that, but I already had the sequence of events written out, and I'm too lazy to change them. Just take it as some freak occurrence, lol. :P**

*******I forgot to mention, if you're interested, I have pics for this fic on my homepage (link in my profile).**  



	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Bella POV**

The chemical odour of the hospital ward was barely tolerable, made especially sharp with my acute sense of smell, but I resolved to breathe through my mouth as much as possible. I sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs provided, leaning forward with my arms resting on the edge of the bed where my girlfriend lay sleeping. Her broken arm had been placed in a cast, and she'd been given some painkillers that had knocked her right out. Her elbows were slightly scraped from trying to break her fall, or rather, my push, and she had some minor bruises here and there, but other than that, the vampire doctor had declared her to be relatively fine. I, on the other hand, escaped with zero injuries, which made me feel bad that Rachel would have to go for weeks with that cast on. But, as guilty as I felt, and as much as I risked the exposure of my secret to the Cullens, I couldn't bring myself to regret my decision to save her. I knew that if I hadn't done what I did, the situation could've turned out a lot worse. Rachel could have sustained fatal injuries, and I would've been forced to come up with an explanation as to how I was able to come out completely unscathed.

"Bella," Dr Cullen called as he entered the ward, "you're free to go. You haven't sustained any injuries, but you're a little warm, and it could be some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I would advise you to take it easy the next couple of days, and not to overexert yourself. Your body still needs to recover from the shock, if nothing else."

"And Rachel?" I asked, "How long does she have to stay?"

"It depends on how she feels when she wakes up. For now, I think it's best if I put her on overnight observation; she might still develop a concussion. If she's okay tomorrow, then she can go home," he replied.

"Thanks, Dr Cullen," I said, "I know it's against the hospital's policy for you to be telling me all of this, but I really needed to know how she's doing. So, thank you."

It was the most appreciation I could offer, given the circumstances, and the doctor seemed to accept it wholeheartedly. For a second, I wondered if he'd heard any of his children's accounts of the accident; no doubt they'd have given him a very detailed description of what happened, including how quick I'd moved to get Rachel out of the way.

"You're welcome," he replied, "It's obvious how much you care for her, and I think no one would question your right to know the extent of her injuries."

It was hard to doubt the sincerity he radiated. No, I decided, the doctor didn't know anything about the accident, not yet anyway.

He left the ward, leaving me to stew over everything that happened. My main concern was revealing myself to the Cullens; I knew a confrontation was unavoidable, and I worried about the consequences that would arise should they find out I was spying on them for the wolves. Maybe I could downplay my 'special skills', blame it on a rush of adrenaline or something. I sighed. It was impossible; their perfect eyesight wouldn't have missed a thing.

Just then, I heard quick, hurried footsteps coming down the hall. I recognized the familiar voices as they drew nearer. I looked up at the couple when they entered, feigning surprise.

"Mr and Mrs Hart! What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck in Spokane?" I asked.

"Oh, the problems with the engine turned out to be a false alarm," Mr Hart replied, as Mrs Hart rushed towards me, "We took the half-hour flight and rushed here as soon as we could."

"Bella!" Rachel's mom exclaimed as she pulled me close. "Oh, honey, I can't thank you enough for what you did. If you hadn't been there, hadn't pulled my baby away in time, I don't know what would've happened . . ."

"But I was," I said quickly, before she could get any more distressed, "and I'm just sorry I had to break her arm in the process."

"Bella," Mr Hart interrupted, with a smile, "a broken arm is what I would consider an acceptable loss in comparison to what could've happened. Thank you, for saving my daughter's life."

I smiled in response, and then relayed to them what Dr Cullen had told me. After filling them in on Rachel's status, I excused myself from the room, giving them some time with their daughter. I sat down on one of the many chairs lining the empty hallway and leaned my head back against the wall, closing my eyes. I wasn't in a rush to get home - Charlie would be back late, he had mentioned earlier when we had first been brought in, so there was no need to cook. I intended to stay for as long as I was allowed.

"Bella?" a musical voice called out. I knew who it was before I opened my eyes; I could smell the apple and cinnamon scent permeating the area.

"Hey, Alice," I replied hesitantly, lowering my head to see the small vampire standing a few feet away from me. I wasn't sure how to act around her – on the one hand, it would be prudent of me to steer clear of any of the Cullens, if not for the fact that they were meant to be my mortal enemy, then certainly because of what I had inadvertently shown them this afternoon. On the other hand, I couldn't help the twinge of exhilaration at seeing this girl. It was like I didn't have any control over the way I reacted to her. My whole being just started to slowly fill up with an indescribable emotion, one that I'd never experienced before. My lips began to curve up into a smile.

_No, _I thought, _stop it Bella. Control yourself._ I clenched my fists by my sides, willing the feeling to go away. It would _not _do me any good to act on my impulses right now. Besides, I had no idea how receptive she'd be to me at the moment, given that ignorance had been my primary form of behaviour around her the past few weeks. Beaming at her like an idiot wasn't going to make up for that.

"Are you okay?" she asked, the concern plain on her face. She must've caught me tensing up.

"I'm fine," I said, giving her a polite smile, "a little drained from earlier, I guess, but I'll be okay. What are you doing here?" I quickly changed the subject.

"We're here to see Carlisle, he was supposed to help us with something."

"We?" I asked, wondering who else was with her. Was it that blond-haired male from class? I _knew_ they seemed close. Plus all her other siblings were paired up, from what I heard, so it was more than likely they would be too. Jealousy ran through me like a knife. What was it she had called him? Jazz?

"Rose is parking the car. She should be her any minute."

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid. Damn these emotions.

"So, how's Rachel doing?" she asked, oddly shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

"She'll be fine, I think. Nothing too serious, but she does have to stay for overnight observation," I answered.

"That's good. Lucky how you were able to push her out of the way so fast," she said in a neutral voice.

"Yeah, lucky," I replied, cautiously controlling my response to the statement.

Her topaz eyes bore into mine, gauging my expression. I felt as though I were being judged, like I was on trial or something. Her eyes drew me in, like a moth to a flame. Then it was over as quickly as it had begun. The vampire blinked a few times before she spoke.

"I have to go, my father's expecting me," she said, with something that sounded suspiciously like regret.

"Right, okay. I won't keep you then. I'll . . . see you in school tomorrow?" the words slipping out before I could think about them.

"Tomorrow?" she said in surprise; I wasn't sure if it was because she'd assumed I'd take the day off, or because I'd essentially promised that I wouldn't avoid her anymore.

"Yeah. Your father cleared me of any injuries, so I figured I'd show up," I replied lightly, my voice even in spite of the mixed feelings I was having. I wanted her to say yes, but at the same time, I wanted her to call me out on my behaviour; it would make things easier if she disliked me.

"Oh. That's . . . okay, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, schooling her features into a carefully arranged mask, though her eyes betrayed her confusion and frustration. I grimaced inwardly, feeling the guilt coursing through me. This was all on me – the come-here, go-away treatment I'd been giving her was resultant of my inability to cope with the feelings she triggered in me. She was stronger than I gave her credit for, for being able to keep her emotions in check.

"See you," I said quietly, resolving to make things better. She didn't deserve my unfair behaviour, and I _would_ deal with my feelings. I had to stop pussy-footing around and just get off that damn fence.

She smiled, a smile that reached her eyes despite how she felt, and continued her way down the hallway. I stared at her retreating form, a million thoughts running through my head. Most prominent though, was the question – what did I want?

* * *

**Rose POV**

I didn't say anything. For once, I stayed quiet and just listened, as Alice explained what had happened in school to Carlisle. Normally, I would speak up, making sure that my opinion on the matter was known and heard. I'd usually be strongly for, or against the situation, and anyone would be hard-pressed to change my mind. In this case, however, I wasn't certain how I felt. On the one hand, the girl was obviously not normal and we knew next to nothing about her, which, in itself, already posed a danger to the family. Anything unknown was a wild card – unpredictable. Add to the fact that she possessed some type of supernatural ability, that may or may not have been limited to speed, made me very wary of her.

On the other hand, she evidently meant a lot to Alice, even going so far as to possibly having some sort of relationship with her. Who would I be to deny my sister this chance at happiness? After Jasper, I worried that Alice would never be happy again. She'd tried to hide it, but I could see how depressed she was getting. And then she had the vision of Bella, and suddenly there was life in her eyes again, albeit some confusion. That earned her a lot of points in my book. Besides, Bella hadn't even done anything to show that she was a threat. I decided to keep my mind open for now, for Alice.

"Ready to go, Rose?" Alice called out to me. "Bye, Carlisle."

"See you at home, girls," he replied with a smile, as we exited his office.

Alice and I quickly made our way out of the hospital; the smell of all the blood was beginning to chip away at our control. We exited the automatic doors, and I took in a deep breath of the evening air, eager to get the antiseptic, chemical smell away from my senses. Instead, I was hit with a repulsive, foul stench that immediately had me on guard.

"What is that _smell_?" I asked with disgust, scanning the parking lot to look for the source of the stink.

"There," I heard Alice speak softly after a few moments.

I followed her line of sight to find a Quileute boy glaring daggers at the two of us. Werewolf. Figures. That explained the smell. I knew we were bound to run into them sooner or later. What did surprise me, however, was that he wasn't alone. Bella was standing next to him, leaning against her car, looking very uncomfortable. What was she doing with that mutt?

"Filthy bloodsuckers," a low voice reached my ears, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Disgusting dog," I retorted, venom clear in my voice.

"Rosalie!" Alice rebuked quietly, her eyes trained on the shorter of the two humans. Bella was watching her with an equally penetrating gaze, seemingly oblivious to the animosity between me and the Quileute.

"Come on Bells, let's go," the boy said, pulling Bella into the car, "the air out here stinks."

I growled softly at the jab, glowering at the mutt as he started up the car, and peeled out of the parking lot. Turning to face my sister, I saw her staring at the rear of the car with a forlorn expression on her face.

"Come on, Alice. We should get home – we need to talk to the family," I said, my features softening as I steered her towards my BMW.

"Thanks, Rose," she said, when we had settled in.

"What for?"

"For not being completely adverse to this, to her. I know how hard it is for you to let people in, and it just means a lot to me that you trust me in this."

"You're my sister, Alice. How can I be against anything or anyone who could make you happy?"_Again_, I silently added as we left the hospital.

She smiled at me in reply, and squeezed my hand gratefully, before proceeding to stare out the window, getting lost in her thoughts once more. I didn't like the despondent look on her face – it just wasn't _Alice_. It wasn't cheery, and animated, and _full of life._ I realized then just how much this girl had really affected my sister.

"You've really got it bad, don't you?"

I didn't get a response.

**

* * *

Alice POV**

After the talk with my family, I left the house, needing to get out. I made my way deeper into the forest, forcing myself to move at a human pace, just in case. It wasn't easy, considering every fibre of my being was screaming at me to make a run for Bella's house. Even without my visions, I knew that it would be a bad idea. I needed to compose myself first, and try to regain my bearings before I attempted to further pursue a relationship with her. I needed to be very clear of what I wanted, and where I stood, in terms of how far I was willing to go. But in order to do that, I had to isolate myself; from humans, and from my family. It was crucial that I make these decisions myself, and free from any influences.

I stepped out from between a clump of trees and into a clearing. I'd stumbled across it on one of our previous stays at Forks, and had kept coming back whenever I was in need of some peace of mind. The place wasn't very large, nor was it terribly beautiful. In fact, by all standards, my little R&R space was quite plain. What had initially drawn me to it, however, hadn't been the extremely average appearance, but the feel of the place. There was a certain atmosphere here that invited me in. It pulled on me like a magnet, for the simple reason that whenever I was here, I felt centred. I felt at peace with the world, with myself. I was able to refocus my occasionally scattered mind. The clearing was like a nexus of positive energy.

I lowered myself down onto a patch of dry grass, sitting cross-legged. Thinking back to the discussion earlier, I realized that most of my insecurity and doubt stemmed from my inability to get any visions of Bella. Most of the time, I knew exactly how things were going to play out, and was confident of the outcome of any situation. With Bella, I'd be going in blind, and that scared me more than I cared to admit, especially if she didn't reciprocate my feelings. It was frightening to not know what was going to happen, because since I'd awoken as a vampire, I'd always been able to rely on my visions to guide me. I learned later on that I'd even had them before that. That was I day I'd always remember.

We had been in Canada at the time, and the whole family had just been at home, taking comfort in each others' presence.

"_Edward, what the hell?"_

"_Emmett Cullen! Language!"_

"_But mom, he was cheating!"_

_I skipped over to the sofa and plonked down next to my favourite brother._

"_Don't worry, Em. The outcome would've been the same either way," I said, smiling sweetly at the glare he sent my way._

"_Come on, Edward, I'll play you," I said to my second-favourite brother. He narrowed his eyes for a second before acquiescing._

"_Alright. What're the stakes?"_

"_If I win, you have to take me shopping wherever I want to go, for a month," I stated._

"_And if I win?"_

"_Then I won't touch your wardrobe for the same amount of time."_

"_And no comments about what I choose to wear either?"_

"_Deal."_

"_Ooh, this is gonna be good," Emmett said, smiling mischievously, "Jasper, get over here!"_

"_You know, you don't have to shout. I can hear you perfectly fine," Jasper said, as he entered the living room. Emmett ignored him, and focused his attention back on Edward and me._

"_Alright!" he called out, clapping his hands together, "Everybody ready? Get set. Go!"_

_But before I could begin, I was pulled into a vision. Part of my mind registered that everyone had congregated around me._

"_Nomads," Edward answered the silent question, "three of them, heading here right now."_

"_Are they a threat?" Carlisle asked._

"_No," I replied, "at least, I don't think so. They seem to just want to talk."_

"_Anyone we know?" Emmett asked, "Asher? Garrett?"_

"_No, I don't recognize any of the faces," Edward answered._

"_They'll be here in two minutes," I piped up._

_The family gathered in the front hall, waiting. Soon, we heard them approaching. Carlisle walked over to the door and opened it, revealing the three vampires from my vision._

_There were two males and one female. The first male, clearly the leader of the coven, stood tall, but not aggressive. He had long blond hair that was tied back into a ponytail, and his red eyes scanned the room as Carlisle welcomed them in. One of his hands rested lightly on the female's lower back; she was clearly his mate._

_The female, Victoria, held a wary stance, her eyes flickering to Emmett uneasily. She had a long mane of curly, red hair that gave her a slightly feral appearance. She was obviously not as trusting of us as James seemed to be. The last member of the coven looked the least threatening of all. Laurent had long black hair that fell to the middle of his back, and ruby-red eyes that contrasted unusually with his olive-toned skin._

"_Thank you for your hospitality. We have travelled for a long time, and it is refreshing to be able to take a break," James said._

"_It's no problem," Carlisle replied, "This is my family – Esme, my mate, my sons, Edward, Emmett and Jasper, and my daughters, Rosalie and Alice."_

_The nomads' gazes passed through each of us as Carlisle spoke our names. I smiled politely at all of them. When James set his eyes on me, however, he had a completely different reaction than that of his coven._

"_You!" he exclaimed, taking a step towards me, "you're alive!"_

_The slightly tense atmosphere hadn't helped, and at the outburst, I found myself quickly being pulled behind Edward and Emmett. I blinked in shock._

"_I'm sorry," Carlisle said, furrowing his brow , "do you know Alice?"_

"_Alice?" James asked, confused for a second before turning to me. "Yes, I know you, you're Mary Alice! Don't you remember me?"_

_I pushed against my brothers and stepped out from behind them._

"_What did you call me?" I asked._

"_Mary Alice Brandon. That's your name, isn't it?" James asked, perplexed. I didn't know how to answer that, and was spared from doing so when Edward called my name._

"_Alice! He knows you . . . from before."_

_I turned to face the fair-haired vampire, hope swelling within me. I couldn't believe it; was I finally going to know who I was?_

"_You knew me when I was human?"_

"_Yes, of course I did. I helped you escape, don't you remember?"_

"_No. I don't remember anything from before I woke up as a vampire."_

_His eyes widened in shock as my statement registered. "You don't remember –"_

"_Wait," Esme cut him off, "what do you mean 'escape'?"_

_James' expression became grave as he struggled to answer the question. He looked reluctant to say anything._

"_From the asylum. I helped you escape from the asylum."_

I had later gone on to learn that I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1901, and had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital by my parents. I had been there for many years before James and his friend, Lewis found me. Lewis had wanted to drain me, as they had done to a number of the patients already, but James had had a feeling that I might've been useful. So they had helped me escape, bought me clothes and fed me. James was insistent that it be my choice whether I wanted to be turned, and convinced Lewis that they had to nurse me back to health.

I had been well on my way to recovery when James had discovered me and Lewis missing after coming back from a hunting session. Despite being a good tracker, he was no match for Lewis, who was extremely gifted in evasion. He hadn't seen either of us since. James had apologized profusely after that, saying that he should've done more to search for me, or should not have trusted Lewis. I remembered telling him that I was just glad that I knew my past.

There was a time though, that I wished I hadn't found out what happened; that I hadn't discovered how my own parents had put me in an asylum for the insane. But I then realized that as much as my parents must've thought my visions to be unnatural, they were actually gift. And I had cherished it ever since.

That was the reason why it was now so terrifying to not have them – something that had become so integral, so significant in my life, was suddenly gone. It was unsettling.

I sighed, getting up off the ground. It would start to rain in a few minutes, and I didn't want to ruin these clothes. I made my way back to the house, not bothering to go slow, and all the way back thinking – what did I want?

* * *

**End Chapter 6.**

**A/N: This chapter sort of took a life of its own - its longer than I expected. Anyway, I'm terribly sorry for the ridiculously long wait, I kept getting stuck at the most unexpected places. So, as you can see, the nomads aren't the bad guys in my story; I didn't want to stick to the books too much.**

**Again, pictures are in my website, link in my profile. Thanks for reading =)**


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